| Conference | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Division | II |
| Region | Pacific coast |
The Western Football Conference was an NCAA Division II scholarship-awarding football conference that existed from 1982 to 1993.
Among its member schools were (from 1982 to 1992 unless otherwise noted):
- Santa Clara
- Cal Poly SLO
- Cal State Northridge
- Cal Lutheran (1985–1989)
- Sacramento State (1985–1992)
- Southern Utah (1986–1992)
- Portland State
- Cal Poly Pomona (1982)
The first discussion of the formation of the league was held by administrators in 1976.[1] Its founding, and only, commissioner was Vic Buccola, who had been the athletic director at Cal Poly from 1973 to 1981. He then became a founder and commissioner of the multi-sport American West Conference, which was chartered after the WFC folded in 1993.
The WFC folded in part because of a new NCAA rule that prohibited member institutions who competed at the Division I (D-I) level in other sports from competing at the Division II (D-II) level in football.[2][3] Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly SLO, Southern Utah, and Sacramento State, plus UC Davis for football, were the first announced members of the American West Conference.[4]
Of the eight WFC member schools:
- Four (Cal Poly SLO, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, and Portland State) are currently members of the Division I FCS Big Sky Conference.
- One (California Lutheran) is a member of the Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
- Three have dropped football as a varsity sport: Cal Poly Pomona ahead of the 1983 season, Santa Clara in 1993, and CSUN in 2001 (following a brief stint in the Big Sky). In all other sports, Cal Poly Pomona is currently a member of the Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association, Santa Clara is a member of the Division I West Coast Conference, and Northridge is a member of the Division I Big West Conference.
The WFC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award was named for Santa Clara coach Pat Malley. Its recipients include:
- 1987: Tracy Morris Downs, M.D., Cal Lutheran
References
- ↑ Payne, Dave (September 9, 1982). "Santa Clara finds a home in new football conference". San Jose Mercury News. pp. 13E.
- ↑ Vigallon, Scott (January 6, 1991). "Proposal Would Force Changes at SCU". San Jose Mercury News. pp. 8D.
- ↑ "Vikings set to open post-Pokey Allen era". Albany Democrat-Herald. Albany, Oregon. Associated Press. August 31, 1993. p. 14. Retrieved January 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Hornets, UCD join new conference". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. July 15, 1993. p. C3. Retrieved January 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.